Erectible shelving



- March 17, 1953 ROSENBERG 2,631,913

ERECTIBLE SHELVING Filed March 21, 1949 Q 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 0252 2. QM. WW

(Iltornegs March 17, 1953 P. ROSENBERG ERECTIBLE SHELVING 2 SHEETSSHEET 2 Filed March 21, 1949 Zhuaentor Patented Mar. 17, 1953 UNITED- STATES PATENT OFFICE ERECTIBBE SHELVING;

Philip Rosenberg New York, N. Y assignor to. Universal Steel Equipment Corporation, Long' Island City, N; Y., a corporationof New York ApplicatiomMarchiM, 1949,Serial;Nm;82,6,68;

IOiOIaims. (01312 -257) 1.. Thisinvention relatesv to erectible shelving of. the-kind in which the shelves themselves, theupr right, posts, and; the back and end Walls are; all

formed of sheet metal, such as steel, and. more particularly to means for effecting; connection; of the ;re ar poststo the back Wall.

It has been conventional practice in erectible shelving to; provide clamps 0r clips, each comprising. an outerfiangeto overlie a portionof a. forward or (interface of anassociated post, andan ,inner flange adaptedto extend in: contactvwith he-i shelving; back. and; to; be ciarnn di the a by: a olt; andnut combination. Th e; cl mps.

or clipszin the conv tional constr on re-pr vicled' at rather fn quent intervals-tin d r. to hold the post and the back in continuous, rigid. rein,- fQrcing, engagementwitn one ano herr Unde he ost,favorable-conditions the application the clips is time consuming; andwexpensir r The:

clips; together-withthe bolt-andvnut comb n tions by which they are attachedtoltheback, alsointeifere with rel-location of the; Shelves after, the structure is, installed, bothbecause'theysare, likely to. be located: exactlywhere. it is: desired to. relocate; ashelf and because;- they, obstruct, adjust,- ing movement of the shelves;

The constr ction. referred to, also, presents; d awbacks in, connection; with shelving, which; is reguiredj t be install d n; a n 7 pace. and

backe mp ainst a .wall becausev of; the di ulty of V pplyi g; he a a h ng bolts: and ut r; e;

lamps,

It" is a; primary; objectof the; inventiontov prov e a n v l; co n tion. of: n rt z o onst ct and, arrangedthat thebach andcorner posts: will be; fixedly and rigidly united in mutuall rein,- forcing relation by the mere putting; into place of the; cover and shelves and; thesupporting;

bracketstherefor.

It isanother; object of the invention to provi novel: connecting; means for the backand posts whichwill obviate, the, necessity for erectin the shelving. in a position; spaced substantially.- from;

a-=.wal1.,

Itris1 a further objects of the invention to provide-- novel connecting means in back-to -back, shelving which will not interfere with the-116* locationof the shelves after the shelving has been erected and; put into use.

It is accordingly afeature, in. connection: with againstethe-wall shelving that channel members,

re. provided; each having achannel facing in one directionandsf rmed tolembrace amar inoitheback, and asecondchannelfacing inthe-opposite direction and. formed to embrace; a portion; of an associated post,. thelatter channels themselves,

being received in recessed portions of conven: tionalshelf supporting. angle. brackets. and clamped against the associatedpostsby them.

Itis a further featureof the invention in connection with back-to-back. shelving that pluraL channels members are" provided having, similarlyfacingchannels for, embracing portions of. posts.-

disposed at ,oppositesides of. the-,back, and anvintervening channelior embracing amargin offthel.

back. Thepost, embracing channel membersare; again; received; in notches of the, conventional. shelf supporting angle;- brackets, being pressed against the posts by the brackets.

In either case theback: is, heldcontinuously by thechannetmembers tothe'posts, and the Chan:- nel members are, held firmlytothe, posts at free.- quent intervals by the cover and shelves. The

entire organization istmade; rigid b the mere.

awayin part, the, sectional parts beingv shown upon the line 2-2 of Figure 1;, looking in the, direction of the arrows;

Eigure 3 is a perspectiye-viewgofa conventional shelf supporting angle; bracket; which: is, em

p yd;

ure: 4 is av persnective view, of, a sheetmetal:

back; associated; with a pairs of: plural channel connecting members, the; arts, being; broken away intermediate their,- ends for compactness of illustration;

Figure 5-is a View showinga partitionor end wall in association with analignedpair of:' front and. back, posts, therwallymember; being brokenv away intermediate its ends fon; compactness of illustration;

Figure. 6 is b a Y fra mentary sectional view;- taken upon the: line lie-6 ofZ Figure 2 looking in;the,

direction, ofthe arrows, therparts beingbroken; away intermediate their; ends;v for compactness of illustration;

Figure 7 isa fragmentary horizontallsectional, View takenupon: the; 1ine 7--1i ofiFigurefi; 109k?" ing in the directioniof the-arrows;

Figure 8,. isl'a fragmentary vertical-sectional view taken upon the; line: 87-3-01"; Figure 6,;1ookcing in the; directionot the arrows and- Figure 9 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional view of a modified structure in which two rows of shelving are arranged back-to-back.

The shelving I of Figure 1 is a single line of shelving which, in accordance with the present invention, is adapted to be erected with the upright sheet metal back members 2 substantially in engagement with a wall. Each section of the row has four hollow sheet metal posts 3, I, 5 and 6 at its corners, all of the posts being constructed like the post 4, which is seen in Figures 6, '7 and 8. The intermediate posts are common to adjacent sections.

The post 4 comprises a rear wall I, side walls 8 and 9, aligned front walls Iii and II 'which complete a hollow rectangular configuration, and forwardly extending juxtaposed flanges I2 and I3. In each section there are included a fixed bottom shelf I4, a series of intermediate adjustable shelves I5, and a fixed cover I6. All of the shelves and the cover are desirably of identical construction.

Each of the shelf and cover members I4, I5 and It comprises a body portion I? which is formed with cutouts I8 at its four corners to fit around portions of the corner posts. Each body member I1 is formed with downturned front and rear flanges I9 and 28 and with downturned end flanges 2! and 22. The front and rear flanges terminate at their lower ends in short inturned flanges 23. The flanges I9, 26 and 23 are desirably made of double thickness, the metal being folded back upon itself at the inner edges of the flanges .23.

Each end and partition wall is disposed to extend between aligned front and rear posts, the construction common to all being illustrated for the partition wall 24 and'the posts 4 and 5 in Figure 5. The rear margin of the partition wall 24 is interposed between the flanges I2 and I3 of the rear post 4 and between corresponding flanges I2 and I3 of the front post 6; Since the wall 24 is a partition wall rather than an end wall, cover and shelf members are disposed at opposite sides of the wall and of the associated posts 4 and 6. The post 4 has formed in its forward faces I0 and II pairs of rectangular openings 25 and 26 for receiving, respectively,

right hand and left hand shelf or top support- 7 ing angle brackets 21 and 28.

The angle brackets 21' and 28 are mirror images of one another, the former being adapted to'be disposed at the rear right hand boundary of a shelf section and the latter at the rear left hand boundary of a shelf section. One' of the brackets 28 is illustrated in detail in Figure 3.

The bracket 28 comprises a vertical body portion 29 having a co-planar hook portion 30 'extending rearwardly therefrom. A lower end extension 3| of the body portion 'is inclined slightly to the left, as clearly seen in Figures 3 and 6." A shelf engaging portion 32, substantially at right angles to the body portion 29,extends toward the right from the body portion and is formed at its rear with a notch 33 which is adapted to extend around the forward and side walls II and 9 of the post 4. The hook 39 is rear face 35 of the portion 3| bears rearwaridly against the wall member |I With the right' and left hand angle brackets 4 21 and 28 in place, the cover members I1 of adjacent sections in place, and the partition wall 24 in place between the flanges I2 and I3, a bolt 36 is passed successively through the body portion of angle bracket 21 and end flange 22 of the first cover section II, the flange I2 of post 4, the rear margin of wall 24, the flange I3 of post 4, the flange 2| of the second cover section, and the body portion of bracket 23. All of the parts referred to are drawn tightly and permanently together by the threading of a nut 3'5 upon the threaded end of the bolt 35.

All of the posts are similarly connected to adjacent cover members and their supporting brackets, save that in the case of each end post there is only one cover member and one supporting bracket to be connected to it. In connection with each section a right hand bracket is employed at the right rear corner and the forward left corner, while a left hand bracket is employed at the right forward corner and the left rear corner. The bottom shelf I4 is connected to the corner posts in exactly the same manner described for the cover II.

In the conventional construction the top shelf or cover It is similarly connected to the corner posts, its flanges and supporting brackets being fixed in place by bolt and nut combinations similar to the bolt and the nut 31. In the case of the intermediate shelves, the shelves of adjacent sections are not necessarily located at the same elevation. Once these intermediate shelves have been put in place, however, they cannot be re-located on account of the back clips and the bolts that hold the back wall in place.

In order to afford a wide range of selection in the location of the intermediate shelves the flanges I2 and I3 of the posts, as illustrated in Figure 5, and the intervening front and rear margins of the end and partition walls, as illustrated in the case of the wall 24 in Figure 5, are formed with a, multiplicity of aligned openings 38.

Up to this point the description which has been given would apply equally to the conventional construction or to the improved construction of the present invention. Nothing has been-said, however, as to how the back'walls 2 are connected to the rear posts 3 and 4. In the conventional construction the shelves and the shelf supporting brackets have nothing to do with the joining of the posts to the back, nor with the ksjecurement to the posts of back connecting memers. or clamps corresponding in cross-sectional configuration to angle bars marked Ma and 42a illustrated in Figure 9 (which will be described at a subsequent point) are'utilized for effecting connection of the back plate to the posts. Each of the clips includes a forward flange adapted to bear against one of the faces I0 or II of the associated post, an intermediate body portion adapted to bear against a side of the associated post, and a rear flange adapted to bear against the front face of the sheet metal back member. The last mentioned flange is clamped firmly to the back member by a bolt and nut combination. These clamping members are desirably put'into place andsecured after the cover and the shelves have been secured to the posts so that spaces between the cover and shelf members can be utilized for the clamps. A number of the clamps must be provided in order to form a rigid struc ture in which the back and posts are held firmly together in mutually reinforcing relation.

In the prior construction a series of clips I t will be apparent that thebolt andfnut-combinations referred'tocannot be applied with the back-- disposed adjacent to the wall. Itwill also be apparent that when the shelving has been erected andlocated it would be extremely awkward to attempt to re-locatethe shelvesbeca-use the bolt and nut combinations interfere with suchre-location; and the bolt and-nut combinationscould not themselves be re-located Without disassembling the entire structure.

In accordance with thepresent invention the clamping members and the bolt and nut combinations associated with them are dispensed withand a' novel connecting; means is employed. This novel structure has the dual advantage that the shelving can be erected directly in its final position with its back close to any wall that forms part of any building" and the re-location of the intermediate shelves can be freely-madeafter the erection;

Novel elements which. are utilized in novelcombination with. the conventional parts for achieving these important advantages are illustrated. clearly in Figure 4;. Here a. rear Wall section 2 isshown as having applied to its opposite ends plural channel members 4|- and 42. The-channelmembers are used as right and left hand members but they are of" identical construction, the members being'simply inverted with relationto'one another;

Each of the'members 4| and 42 has a first channel' port-ion 43 facing in one-direction and into which an adjacent margin of one of theback members 2' is fitted, and a second channel portion 44 which partially embraces an associated post, such as the post. 4 illustrated in Figure 7. The channel'portion 4-4; inclu-desa side wall 45 which forms the base of' the channel. and" a front wall 491 In the case of the connector 42, as seen in Figure 7, the side Wall 45 extends along the wall 8 of the post 4, and. the front wall 46 extends along the wall ll! of the post 4-. In the case of the connecting member, as seen in Figure '7, the side wall 45 extends along the Wall'Q of the post 4, and the front Wall 46 extends along the wall I I- of the post 4. The notches 3:3 of the brackets 21 and 28' embrace the walls wand 45 of the associated channel members 42 and.

The construction which has b'eendescribed for the post. 4 as shown'in Figure"? is the same for all ofthe'rear posts. save, of course, that in thecase of end' posts, such as the post 3, only one of the channel members, in this case 4|, is associated with it. Each channel member is substantiallyco-extensive in height with the associated post; The channel members are permanently held to the associated posts by the angle brackets which support the covers and the bottom shelves and which are themselves-permanently secured to the posts by bolt and nut combinationsisuch; as Stand 31.

Until at least the-rear cover and bottom shelf supporting brackets associated with a connector are put in place the connector is freely separable from the associated post. Even with the brackets in place the connector is freely separable from the back and has limited freedom'to move relative' to the post.

The cover and shelves, however, in cooperation with the connectors, serveto fix the relative positionsof the parts and to make the entire structure rigid. The cut out marginand' the flange l9 at the rear of the cover and of each shelf extend between the connectors atopposite ends of asection, spacing the connectors from one another:

6; The end flanges 21: and 2 2 extend between the body portions 29 of the supporting brackets and the forwardlyextending: flanges of the associated posts. Thefianges- 21 and 22 by their engagementwith the posts limit approach of the posts. and by their engagement with the bracketsprevent separation oft-he posts, sothat-thespacihg of the posts fromone another is fixediwithin nar row. limits; The consequence is that the posts,

drawntowardone another by. the actionof the.

cover and shelves upon the supporting. brackets, force andmaintain.theconnectors in engagement with the rear cover and shelf portions.- and; with the vertical. edges of the back section.

The; action of the: intermediate shelves. is simie. lar to that ot'the .coverand the bottomshelf: Each. cooperates with the posts, the supporting brackets, the connectors. andthe back sectionsin the. manner described; The connectors. are caused: by the shelves to bear continuously against the posts, and the back sections: are caused by the connectorsto extend continuously. parallel to the posts and inmutually. reinforcing relation to them The'necessity foritheemployiment. of intermediate clamps. to. secure the back; sections-to the posts is thereforeobviated.

In the erection of the shelving all ofithe verse. tically disposed parts,including the posts, therear walls, the channeled connectors-,. and the end: and partition. walls, are loosely assembled and erect ed, after. which .the covers: and the-bottom shelves are put in place as described: and permanently: connected by. bolt. and .nutcombinations. such as 36. and: 31: as described... During. the connection of the covers. and: the bottom shelves the upright. members are readjusted. as; required totheir final. positions. Since the channeled connectorsdilzand 42 extend substantially the full height ofithe post 3' and have noprojections formed upon. them and no. projecting. fasteners associated with them, they oppose. no' obstruction to there-location of the brackets 21: and 28and hence no obstruction to the. relocation of the. intermediate shelves. Whenever such relocation is. desired. The weight. of the intermediate shelvesv and their contents. bearing against the shelf: engaging portions 32 of the. brackets. also. holds the intermediate pertions: of the connectors and 42 firmly'ag-ainst theside faces ot-the rear posts. and makeszthe employment of conventional intermediatecla-mps unnecessary.

In Figure 9 a modified. constructionis illus-; trated whichis adapted to be employed. when rows of shelving are to be erected back-.to-back. A first row of shelving-comprising sections 41- and 48 is identical in construction'with the" novel shelving of'Figures 1-8, inclusive. Correspondingreference characters have accordingly been ap-- plied to corresponding parts with the-subscript d added in each instance, and no detailed'de script-ion will be given.

The connecting members 41a and lla/are; howevery, modified, being formed as mere angle members toprovide outturned flanges which bean againstback members 2 and flanges which bearagainst the forward faces of the post in; The outturned' flanges are received" in channels 49 of connectors 39 and 40; The connect0rs39 and 40- are associated with a post50- which is in all respects identical with the post 4a. The post: 50 forms an element'of a second row of shelvingcom prising sections 5| and 52. This row of' shelving is also identical with the shelving already describedin connection with Figures 1-8, except for the connectorfeatures which have been already 7 described and which are about to be described. The connectors 39 and 40 are modified by having their rear walls extended and folded inward to form the channels 49; The inturned flanges of the connectors 39 and 40 extend partway across the faces f the post 50.

One of the back members 2a, shown in Figure 9, is clamped to the connector 420. and to the angle member 39 immediately beneath the cover and immediately beneath the bottom shelf by a bolt and nut combination such as the bolt 53 and the nut 54 shown in Figure 9. The other back member 2a is similarly clamped to the connector Ala and the angle member Qt immediately beneath the cover and the bottom shelf by bolt and nut combinations such as the bolt 55and the nut 55. The angle members Ma and 42a are embraced by notches of the cover and the shelves, and by notches 33 of the cover and shelf supporting brackets, being held against the posts by the cover, the shelves and the brackets. The end flanges of the cover and shelves cooperate with the posts and the shelf supporting brackets in the manner previously described. Since the parts are held thus correctly associated by the intermediate shelves and their brackets, there isno need for intermediate bolt and nut combinations to retain the angle members an and 42a in their assigned positions. The intermediate shelves may accordingly be freely re-located at both sides of the common back members 2a after the'shelving has been fully erected.

I have described what I believe to be the best embodiments of my invention. I do not wish, however, to be confined to the embodiments shown but what I desire to cover by Letters Patent is set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. Erectible shelving comprising, in combination, a sheet metal back, a hollow post having openings in the forward face thereof, a connecting sheet metal member having a channel facing in one direction to embrace and fit upon a margin of the back and a second channel facing in the opposite direction to embrace and fit around a'portion of the post, and a shelf supporting angle bracket having a hook portion engageable in an opening of the post and a shelf engaging portion disposed substantially at right angles to the hook portion and having a notch adapted to fit around the front and side walls of the post embracing channel.

2. Erectible shelving as set forth in claim 1, in which the connecting sheet metal member is substantially coextensive in height with the post.

3. Erectible shelving comprising, in combination, a sheet metal back, hollow front and rear posts, and wall members adapted to be secured to and extended between corresponding front and rear posts, rectangular top and bottom members adapted to be connected to the upper and lower ends of the posts for securing the posts in rectangular relation to one another, the posts having corresponding openings in the confronting faces thereof, connecting sheet metal members adapted to be associated with the respective rear posts and each having a channel facing in one direction to'embrace and fit upon a margin of the back and a second channel facing in the opposite direction to embrace and fit around a portion of the associated post, and shelf supporting angle brackets, each having a hook portion engageable in an opening of the post and a shelf engaging portion disposed substantially at right angles to the hook portion and having a notch 8 adapted, when the bracket is applied to a rear post, to fit around the external front and side walls of the associated post embracing channel.

4. Erectible back-to-bac k shelving comprising, in combination, a sheet metal back, a pair of hollow posts adapted to be placed at opposite sides of the back in overlapping relation thereto, and a sheet metal connecting structure forming similarly facing channels for embracing portions of the respective posts, and also forming walls of an intervening oppositely facing channel for embracing a margin of the back, and a flange for attachment to the back, having a back engaging portion extending from and in line with a back engaging Wall of said intervening channel.

5. Erectible back-to-back shelving comprising, in combination, a sheet metal back, a pair of hollow posts adpated to be placed at opposite sides of the back in overlapping relation thereto, and a sheet metal connecting structure consisting of two members, said members together defining similarly facing channels for embracing portions of the respective posts, and an interven ing channel bounding and channel-dividing projection integral with one of the members and adapted to extend between the posts and itself defining an oppositely facing channel for receiving and fitting a margin of the back, and an attaching flange formed jointly by the members and through which the members are united to one another and to the back, said flange extending outwardly from the similarly facing channels and having a back engaging portion substantially in line with a back engaging portion of said projection.

6. Erectible back-to-back shelving comprising, in combination, a sheet metal back, a pair of hollow posts adapted to be placed at opposite sides of the back and formed with openings in their outer faces, a connecting structure comprising a pair of sheet metal members associated with the respective posts, the first connecting member being a clamp formed with outer and inner flanges, the first flange for overlying in part the outer face of one of the posts and the second flange for attachment to the back, and the second connecting member being a channel member having a first channel facing in a first direction for receiving and fitting the second flange of the clamp, a second channel facing in the opposite direction for receiving and fitting a margin of the back, and a third channel facing in the first direction to embrace and fit around a portion of the other post, and shelf supporting angle brackets having hook portions engageable in openings of the respective posts and each having a shelf engaging portion disposed substantially at right angles to the hook portion and having a notch adapted to fit around the front and side walls of the associated connecting member.

7. Erectible shelving comprising, in combination, a sheet metal back, a pair of hollow posts at opposite ends of the back, connecting sheet metal members having channels that face away from one another to embrace the respective posts and channels that face toward one another to embrace the opposite vertical margins of the back, shelf supporting angle brackets hooked into the respective posts and each having vertically disposed body and hook portions and a horizontally disposed shelf supporting portion, and a shelf having a notched rear margin to fit between the connecting members and space them from one another and end flanges to fit outside the body portions ofthe hooks to hold them against sen-- aration, whereby the posts are caused to press the connecting members against the cutout portions of the shelves and toward the vertical edges of the back.

8. Erectible shelving comprising, in combination, a sheet metal back, a pair of posts, shelf supporting brackets secured to the posts, channeled connecting members embracing the respective posts and also embracing the opposite margins of the back, and a shelf having a portion that fits between the channeled connecting members to space them from one another and other portions that extend outside the shelf supporting brackets to limit separation of the posts, the construction and arrangement being such that the channeled connecting members are clamped to their respective posts by the shelf at a predetermined distance from one another.

9. Erectible shelving comprising, in combination, a sheet metal back, a pair of hollow posts, shelf supporting brackets hooked into the posts, channeled connecting members embracing the respective posts an also embracing the opposite margins of the back, and shelves having portions that fit between the channeled connecting members to space them from one another and other portions that extend outside the shelf supporting brackets to limit separation of the posts, the construction and arrangement being such that the channeled connecting members are clamped to their respective posts by the shelves at predetermined distances from one another, the connect- 10 ing members extending continuously and smooth- 1y substantially from the bottom to the top of the shelving so that the shelves can be unobstructedly re-located.

10. Erectible shelving comprising, in combination, a sheet metal back, a pair of hollow posts, shelf supporting brackets secured to the posts, channeled connecting members embracing the respective posts and also embracing the opposite margins of the back, and a shelf having portions that engage outside the shelf supporting brackets to limit separation of the posts, the shelf serving to hold the posts near enough together to maintain the connecting members in embracing relation to the margins of the back.

PHILIP ROSENBERG.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

